Homemade ringlight - In Action

I'm always interested in trying new things in the studio.  I figure any photo I take using equipment I build myself adds to its "uniqueness".  Plus sometimes I can save a few bucks as well.  And when I pull this homemade ringlight out of my bag it has occasionally piqued the interest of models who think they had  "seen it all".   The image below is one of my favorites taken just with the single ringlight:

Nikon D90

1/160, F6.3

Tamron 17-50 F2.8 (48mm)

This lighting diagram illustrates the simple setup.  A ringlight is a circular light with a hole in the center that you shoot through.  When using a ringlight you typically place the model close to the background so they become encircled by a tight shadow.

 

Here is a photo of my ringlight.  It is composed of the following materials:

Microwave spatter cover (bowl)

Translucent microwave spatter cover or cutting board (top diffuser)

Empty duct tape spindle (center)

Empty duct tape spindle (top right, for strobe to shoot through)

Lots of silver duct tape to line the inside of the bowl.

Silver and/or black duct tape to hold it all together.

To use this I shine a manual strobe through the hole shown on the top right.  I trigger it from the camera using either a dedicated strobe cable or a remote trigger.  I use a camera lens that fits in the center.  And of course remember to warn the subject that it will be bright : )